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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24342502">an act of kindness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/harikurono/pseuds/harikurono'>harikurono</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Autistic Character, Autistic Nanami Ryuusui, Autistic Shishiou Tsukasa, M/M, Sensory Overload, author is autistic, idk how to tag, one big ol self projection</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:40:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,768</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24342502</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/harikurono/pseuds/harikurono</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Adjusting to the aftermath of the Tsukasa Empire, the war, his fatal injury and now being revived and joining the Kingdom of Science on their mission to sail to South America was certainly a lot to process for Tsukasa Shishio.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nanami Ryuusui &amp; Shishiou Tsukasa, Nanami Ryuusui/Shishiou Tsukasa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>an act of kindness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi!! this is my first like .. proper fic that im proud of that i've posted to ao3, so plz go easy on me lol. these are headcanons ive had around for a while and they make me happy so i wanted to write abt it!! plus ryukasa is criminally underrated, so i wanted to provide some Food in this tag</p><p>i conveniently wrote this while overloaded myself even tho i went back and changed it all so this is rly just one big projection bcz tsukasa is relatable so &lt;3 enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adjusting to the aftermath of the Tsukasa Empire, the war, his fatal injury and now being revived and joining the Kingdom of Science on their mission to sail to South America was certainly a lot to process for Tsukasa Shishio.</p><p>While he was happy to have been accepted into such a tight and caring community of people, the dark feeling of being an alien, an outsider who doesn't belong grew stronger within him by the day.</p><p>For now, it felt safe here. He felt as if he could grow to trust these people, accept them as his allies, even if he couldn’t forgive himself for all the pain that he had caused them within the past few years. They were understanding, accepting of his wrongdoings and appreciating the apologies despite how they truly didn’t seem to care about what he’d done and were just glad to have him as an ally of their cause.</p><p>Life on the Perseus was certainly eventful, no day ever being the same. That concept didn’t sit too well with Tsukasa, though. Back in his Empire, he got to decide his own routine, his own rules that he was comfortable with sticking by. Here though? Not exactly the case. The chaos of normal life - was this what other people considered normal? - was amusing for him to witness, however.</p><p>While he was struggling to adjust to the change, especially after being in cryosleep for so long and suddenly being thrown straight back into what felt like an entirely new life, he could eventually learn to handle it. But one thing he could never adjust to was the environment. The people? He could deal with them, even if it was only for a brief amount of time a day. Though, he supposed he’d never understand the people who thrive off of interaction, which unfortunately seemed to be the case for the majority of people aboard the ship.</p><p>But the environment he’d woken up to, and immediately rushed onto the ship with? Pure chaos, that’s how it registered in Tsukasa’s brain. The noise of the ocean waves crashing against the boat when a storm hit in contrast to the gentle lap of the sea when the weather was calm and it was sunny outside, it felt suffocating. The lack of routine and vague rules mixed with these facts? It felt like his brain was going to short circuit every five seconds.</p><p>Today was a day like any other, or so he thought for a moment. Everyday was different here. He never knew what to expect. He woke up at sunrise, as usual - Senku was currently estimating it to be around 5am in their current location - and went to take a very brief bath before the mayhem for today started once again, just like it had the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that.</p><p>He proceeded with his day with all the normalcy he could. That was all he wanted, to feel normal. Feeling like an outsider did nothing but make him feel ill, a burden.</p><p>It felt like it was louder today. What was supposed to be the gentle lapping of the waves against wood sounded more like violent banging, the noise of people talking in the background feeling as if the volume had been turned up on them tenfold.</p><p>
  <i>Stop complaining.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>You should be grateful to even be accepted here.</i>
</p><p>It had started inching into the evening by the time it started to quickly eat away at whatever was left of his energy, his tolerance, his patience. The feeling of an intense discomfort creeped in at the seams, plaguing his mind and his body no matter how much he tried to push it away, tried to ignore it until he could finally get back to his own sleeping chambers later on without seeming suspicious. That felt as if it were practically centuries away right now.</p><p>It proved to be more difficult than it ever had been, it felt like - masking his discomfort which has swiftly twisted into intense pain. He’s done this before, so <i>why did it feel so difficult now?</i></p><p>He was just thankful for the fact nobody else seemed to sense it. Maybe he was good at masking his suffering.</p><p>At least, that was what he thought before his train of thought was thrown completely off the rails when he felt a heavy hand clasp his shoulder behind him. The sudden surprise touch burned, it burned so, so badly, making him shoot up straight as he squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to whatever out there that it would stop soon.</p><p>However, the person in question didn’t seem to understand the meaning of how tense he’d suddenly gotten, and instead spoke.</p><p>“Tsukasa?”</p><p>The voice was loud, very much obnoxiously so to Tsukasa right now, and he made no mistake in quickly identifying the voice as belonging to none other than Ryusui Nanami.</p><p>Great. Just what he needed right now. </p><p><i>It’s fine,</i> the brunette thought to himself, <i>maybe if I act as if he’s not there and that I didn’t feel or hear a thing, he’ll go away and just forget I exist. Maybe he’ll mistake me for a stone statue?</i></p><p>That thought was entirely irrational and definitely didn’t happen; the hand stayed put and showed no sign of moving, and neither did Ryusui. Thankfully, there were only a few people out on the main deck right now, so they were practically alone. <i>At least I’m not embarrassing myself in front of everybody. I’ve made enough of a fool of myself around here.</i></p><p>“Tsukasa,” the voice of the sailor came again, though softer this time, “can you come with me?”</p><p>What could Ryusui, the bastard, want him of all people for? He couldn’t do anything other than nod in agreement though, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. He could only hope he wasn’t being taken to anywhere louder on the ship- he could handle anywhere but a place with more people right now.</p><p>Finally, the blonde moved his hand away, and waited patiently for Tsukasa to relax before he beckoned for him to get up and follow him. He led him through the expansive layout of the ship, eventually arriving back at his own sleeping quarters. What possibly could he want him here for?</p><p>He gestured clearly for Tsukasa to open the door, almost as if he didn’t want to intrude despite how the fighter had nothing in his room to hide anyways. It was plain, empty. Not like he had anything to display.</p><p>He opened the door and went inside, holding it open for the sailor to come in, flinching at the creek it made, but trying to hide it as he shut it and sat down.</p><p>The brunette sat down on his bed with a rigid posture that probably looked outright uncomfortable to anyone besides him - half leaned over on himself, coat pulled around him with his arm across his stomach to keep it there, as if he was doubling over in a great deal of pain. However, Ryusui, who’d sat down next to him now, was patient, granting him a few minutes to bask in the silence before he broke the blissful peace that had settled between them. </p><p>“So, you’re autistic, right?”</p><p>Tsukasa tensed up even more than he had been previously. Why was he asking? What did he know about him? How could he tell? Was he really that bad at masking?</p><p>He didn’t give a response.</p><p>Ryusui laughed - thought it was more of a soft chuckle, much different in contrast to his normal obnoxious hysterics. “Sorry, sorry, that was brutal. I’ve never been good at being subtle.”</p><p>There was a pause before he spoke up again, allowing Tsukasa time to process, “I’m asking because you seemed distressed when I found you, but in a sense I found relatable, you get me? I might have assumed things wrong, but I mean, it never hurts to ask. It would make sense to me, at least, from things I’ve picked up about you since you were revived.”</p><p>The brunette stayed quiet. He didn’t <i>want</i> people to know, he wasn’t ready for that yet and he wasn’t sure he’d <i>ever</i> be ready for people to know. He’d masked for so long he’d forgotten what it was like to not mask, and to actually be open with other people about the subject. He’d masked for such a long time that he barely had any semblance of who he even was anymore.</p><p>The blonde at his side sensed he wasn’t going to say anything on the matter right now, so he didn’t push it, and instead continued to talk.</p><p>“I’m not saying all of this just so I can use it for my own gain, I don’t have an ulterior motive because I’m not as horrible as you seem to think I am, promise~” he chuckled softly, “I’m saying this so everyone here can support you better than we are right now, and I’m saying this as a friend who cares about you. I’m autistic myself! There’s a couple of us here who are also autistic! So there’s seriously nothing to be ashamed of if you are, but you don’t have to say anything. I’m not forcing you to tell me anything. I just want to know how I can make things more comfortable around here for you.”</p><p>...Well, that made sense at least. But, did he really want to be open about this? He knew he had a choice here, but he’d never really been good at making decisions. He could continue to fake his emotions and mask his pain, or he could come clean and live a more comfortable, accommodating life.</p><p>The sailor was still patient with him as he made his decision, sensing how he was deep in thought and granting him the time to think and come up with a response.</p><p>Tsukasa subconsciously wrapped his coat tighter around himself.</p><p>After a lot of thinking and internal debate, he came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, he should just be open about it. He understood how difficult this was going to be for him, but he had a vague sense of faith in himself.</p><p>He had survived this long, after all.</p><p>“Yes,” he finally mumbled out weakly, grabbing the attention of the man next to him again, “you’re right.”</p><p>The sailor broke out in a grin, nodding, “That’s great to know, Tsukasa!” He tried his best to keep his voice down, but he’s never exactly mastered the art of volume control.</p><p>“Are you alright though?” his voice came much softer this time, in a time more calming, and he merely prayed it wouldn’t hurt the brunette who already seemed to be sensitive. “It’s okay if you can’t put a name to how you’re feeling right now. I suck at that too. But you seemed really overstimulated when I approached you, and I was wondering how I could help if that’s the case.”</p><p><i>Ah. So it was obvious.</i> Though, Tsukasa supposed maybe it was obvious because the man at his side had been in the exact same position before, likely on too many occasions to count, just like him. Maybe it just wasn’t noticeable to anyone who wasn’t like them. </p><p>It took a little while for the fighter to find the right words to say and even feel comfortable with verbalising them, before he muttered out a response, “I am.”</p><p>He paused, and Ryusui understood. Offered him all the time, patience, whatever he needed.</p><p>“It gets like this often,” he started, his voice more of a low mumble now, just enough for the blonde to hear, “It’s why I never stay around when there’s any sort of social gathering with everyone, unless it’s necessary. I’ve grown used to masking it.”</p><p>Once again, the feeling was understood, and he could tell. The man with him knew the feeling all too well himself. He waited a few moments to speak, seeing if he had anything else to say, before he spoke up again.</p><p>“Masking sucks though, doesn’t it? You shouldn’t have to be in pain and hide it. Hiding who you really are deep down is the worst. If you let us support you, you won’t have to be in as much discomfort everyday,” the blonde started, his voice clear so it was easy to process, “I can’t say that it won’t happen again, because hey~ it happens to everyone around here who’re on the spectrum, it’s just how our brains work. But I know for a fact I don’t like seeing you in pain, Tsuka,” he slipped in a nickname in there, hoping to provoke more of an emotional response out of him, “and that’s why I want to help you.”</p><p>Ryusui’s voice was soft as he spoke, out of character compared to his usual outgoing self. But there were no complaints. It was soothing, and that was exactly what Tsukasa needed right now.</p><p>“You don’t have to accept our support though if you don’t w-“</p><p>“<i>Please.</i>”</p><p>His voice came out as weak, quivering - <i>desperate</i>. He now recognised how much he needed that support to keep going. How could he ever deny it, especially coming from someone like Ryusui?</p><p>“Okay. Is there anything I can do to help right now? Should I stop talking?” He took things one step at time, not wanting to overload him with a sudden stream of questions - he knew from personal experience that was overwhelming. </p><p>Tsukasa nodded. While having the blonde’s presence beside him was a calming, grounding force, reminding him he was not alone in his struggles, listening to him talk was too much to cope with right now. Instead, he kept his rigid posture, finding comfort in it as he pulled his coat around himself even tighter, comforted by the feeling of fur around the neck and the pressure it enveloped his body with. He rocked himself back and forth where he was seated, his hands tapping various places on himself gently to ease his mind that still felt like every nerve ending was sparking.</p><p>It felt nice to know there were people who wouldn’t judge him for this, such as the man at his side. Someone he could feel safe not masking those traits around.</p><p>And for a while, he was comfortable like that. Slowly calming himself down at his own pace and allowing himself to indulge in his stims around someone else, who was okay with going out of his own comfort zone to make sure he was okay and staying with him until he was.</p><p>Ryusui seemed to like talking, always talking someone’s ear off about one thing or another that interested him at the time, Tsukasa had observed over the months. He found it rather endearing, actually. But it warmed his heart even more that he would sit quietly until he was personally sure he was okay. It made him feel some indescribable emotion that made him feel euphoric, made his chest tighten in a way that felt right.</p><p>
  <i>Huh.</i>
</p><p>That’s another emotion he couldn’t put a name to.</p><p>The sailor by his side was a soothing presence though. The fact he was here with him was a comforting thought. He liked that.</p><p>“Can I hug you?” Speak of the devil.</p><p>Tsukasa nodded. He didn’t mind that it’s right now, and settled into a posture that looked far more comfortable against Ryusui.</p><p>“Tighter? Or do you want me to be gentle?”</p><p>While the fighter didn’t feel as if he could speak right now, that was okay. He gestured for him to be tight, and he was granted that, the strong pair of arms around his torso holding him tighter, the pressure a grounding force. He could get used to this, if ever given the privilege to.</p><p>They stayed like that for a while, Tsukasa seeming to eventually relax entirely, the tension leaving his body. Ryusui daren’t disturb him as he noticed the brunette start to drift off to sleep, instead settling to rock him slightly in his arms to lull him to sleep.</p><p>It worked, and Ryusui smiled softly as he looked down, all the stress fading from the fighter’s face, leaving a much softer, more vulnerable expression, highlighted by the setting sun outside. He wished he could just take a picture of this moment and treasure it forever. He had no desire to move and go back to the others now, content on holding the other in his arms for the rest of the night.</p><p>He wished they could stay like this forever.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i suck at endings, but i hope that was okay haha</p><p>please go easy on me i am Sensitive and nervous ab posting this!! i just love my boys, hope you enjoyed!</p><p>i'm thinking abt doing some followup one shots to this too when i have inspo again so... maybe look out for that &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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